The San Francisco 49ers sent shockwaves throughout the NFL world Tuesday, acquiring highly-coveted young quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo from New England.
The move was seen as more for the long term, especially with San Francisco mired in an 0-8 start to the season. The expectation here is that the 49ers will come to terms on a long-term extension with the former Pat prior to him hitting free agency in March.
Though, it’s also looking like there’s no guarantee Garoppolo will actually see the field for the 49ers this season. That’s according to first-year head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Kyle Shanahan on Jimmy Garoppolo: "I can't promise you that he will play this year."
— Joe Fann (@Joe_Fann) November 1, 2017
This is definitely a doozy of a statement. But in a vacuum, it also makes a ton of sense. Learning Shanahan’s offense is more difficult than most offenses around the NFL. Surely, the 49ers are not going to throw Garoppolo to the wolves without knowing the nuances of said offense.
That’s magnified by the fact that this team is going nowhere fast in 2017. Why not sit Garoppolo in an attempt to earn a higher first-round pick? Quarterback was the major issue for the team. But you don’t start 0-8 without their being other major holes to fill.